Envelope for filing purposes and the like



April 11, 1950 c. A. PATE ENVELOPE FOR FILING PURPOSES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 16, 1945 quad-$19 AT TURNEYS Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED STATES ENVELOPE FOR mane ruarosns AND 'rna LIKE :Charles A. Pate, Luflrin, Tex. v Application November 16, 1945, Serial No. 629,181

This invention relates to an envelope of novel construction, and more particularly to an envelope for containing reference papers or the like and provided with means whereby it may i be bound or otherwise secured into a permanent n or semi-permanent file while providing ready access to the contents thereof, and to the remainder of said file.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an envelope capable of receiving a variety of papers, photographs or similar material such as may properly accumulate in a file such as a legal file, which may be attached to such a file while permitting ready access both to its own contents and to the other contents of said file, which protects the papers and other material from accidental disclosure, and which also provides a large and unobstructed area on the front thereof whereon a list or other description of its contents may be made.

Another object of the invention is to provide an envelope formed from a single blank of paper or other sheet material of such configuration that when the various component areas thereof are folded over upon themselves or each other and suitably secured together they form an envelope open only along one edge provided with a releasable closure flap for said opening, and provided also with a pocket-like extension at an edge adjacent said closure fiap communicating with the interior of said envelope.

A further object is to provide an envelope of this character which is provided with means whereby it may be attached in a file such as a law file, and particularly such an envelope wherein the pocket-like extension is adapted for such attachment. I

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout-- Fig. 1 illustrates a blank of paper or like material suitable for use in forming an envelope embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a complete envelopeformed from the blank shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view in perspective 9 illustrating the operation of the envelope shown in Fig. 2 when embodied in a file. 1

Among the contents of most files, and particularly files in connection with law suits and the like, there is almost invariably an accumulation iii 4 Claim!- (Cl. 129-20) of papers, photographs and other documents and similar items which because oi'their size, shape or for some other reason cannot or should not be physically fastened in the file. For example, in a law file papers and data frequently accumulate which should be readily available but not readily open to inspection, such as papers prepared but not yet filed, early drafts of papers and the like. Such papers should be immediately available in the file but at the same time should not be subject to the direct view of an opposing party upon casual inspection of the file. The present invention in concerned with the provision of envelope means whereby such material may be secured in its proper place in a file but at the same time will remain hidden except at the will of the proper party. The invention also provides such envelope means which will in no way hamper the normal use of the file as by undue bulk or otherwise.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the blank from which the envelope is formed may comprise heavy paper such as manila paper, a moderately thin grade oi. cardboard, or other suitable reasonably flexible sheet material. The material may be opaque, or for some uses .of the invention it may be desirable to use a clear or colored transparent material such for example, as regenerated cellulose. cellulose acetate or the like. The

blank shown in Fig. 1 comprises two main'body portions l0 and i2 which form the front and back respectively of the finished envelope and are provided with an intermediate fold line H. Back portion i 2 is provided with an outwardly extending flap l5 which forms the closure means for the finished envelope. Along one of the sides adjacent flap i5, body portions in and l2 are provided with continuous extensions I6 and I8 which are integral therewith but are shown in Fig. 1 as set oil by dotted line I! for convenience of illustration and explanation. As shown, extensions l8 and 18 are of the same width as body portions ill' and l2 and similarly connect-with each other at fold line It. Extension l6 has a short flap 20 extending outwardly therefrom in the direction opposite from flap i5. Extension [6 also carries a further fla 22 extending in a-direction at right angles to I! and '20; and front portion Ill carries a similar flap extending in the opposite direction from flap 22. Each of flaps 20, 22 and 24 may conveniently be provided with a suitable conventional adhesive coatingas indicated at 25.

Fig. 2 illustrates the various component parts a,sos,so2

preferably provided with a releasable fastener means, such as a pronged fastener or the cord and button assembly indicated at 20, or it may be provided with adhesive for more permanent fastening. At the same time, extensions ii and II of the main body portions provide a pocket-like extension on the envelope which communicates with the interior of the latter and can be reached only through the opening at flap 1!. The edge of front portion l which is adjacent fiap I! in the completed envelope is preferably scalloped as indicated at 2! to facilitate access to the interior of the envelope, and for most uses it has been found convenient for the blank to be so assembled that flap is will be on the right hand edge of the en'- velope as shown in Fig. 2. Back portion i2 and extension i8 thereon are preferably formed at their outer ends sightly shorter than portions II and It, as indicated at this construction provides clearance at the fold lines for flaps 22 and 24 and makes less bulky the connection of the latter to back portion i2.

Fig. 2 shows a pair of spaced apertures 22 adjacent the upper margin of the envelope which are adapted to cooperate with suitable fastener means such as are conventionally employed in securing together the component papers of a file. These apertures may be cut out at the same time as the initial blank, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, or they may be cut in the finished envelope. In either case they are preferably located within the out'ine of fiap 22, which is a portion of the envelope composed of at least three thicknesses of the component material and will accordingly afford considerable resistance to tearing in use.

The proportions of the various portions of the blank shown in Fig. 1 will in some measure be governed by the specific purposes to which the tion provides pocket space ample for accommodation of conventional 8%" by 13" legal paper and still leaves adequate clearance for fastener elements engaging in apertures 32 without making the envelope too long for ready inclusion in a file. At the same time, since extensions I6 and I. provide clearance between the upper edge of the envelope and fiap I 5, the latter may readily be opened when the envelope is bound in a file without interference with or from other papers mounted on top thereof and folded back to provide access to said envelope, as indicated at 33 in Fig, 3. Furthermore, the clearance provided by this construction at the upper end of the enveope facilitates access to other papers in the file. That is to say, when the envelope is mounted in a file it may itself be readily folded back to provide convenient access to other papers mounted thereunder in the same file.

The above construction provides ample space on the outer surface of portion It on which to list or otherwise indicate on the envelope the nature of its contents. Since fiaps 2|, 22 and 24 which secure portions II and i2 together are all folded to the back of the envelope, this leaves unobstructed the front surface thereof, and a series of guide lines 24 is shown in Fig. 2 for such listing of the contents of the envelope. The particular arrangement of such guide lines will depend upon' the use to which the envelope is to be put, and the showing in Fig. 2 is accordingly merely illustrative. The size and proportions of the component parts of the blank and finished envelope may also be varied in accordance with the use to which the envelope is to be put and the nature of the material to be filed therein without departing from the scope of the invention. As a general ru e in such modifications it has been found satisfactory to make the overall length of the envelope at least of the order of 1" longer than the maximum length of its normal contents and to form the extensions on the envelope body portions at least of the order of 2" in length.

While the form of article herein described constitutes a preferred. embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of article, and that changes may be madetherein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: V 1. A filing envelope adapted to receive material of a predetermined maximum length to be fastened in a file of papers comprisin a blank of sheet material forming rectangular front and back portions connected by a fold line, a fiap portion extending outwardly from, the edge of said back portion opposite said fold line, a second fiap extending outwardly from an edge of said front portion adjacent said fold line, a continuous extended portion along the edges of both said front and back portions opposite said second flap and of substantially the same width as said front and back portions together, a third fiap extending outwardly from said extended portion of said front portion in the opposite direction from said second fiap, a fourth fiap extending outwardly from said extended portion of said front por tion in a direction at right angles to said second and third flaps, said front and back portions and said extended portions thereof being folded along said fold line into superimposed relation, said second, third and fourth flaps being folded back from said front portion and secured to said back portion to form an envelope open only along the edge of said back portion carrying said first fiap but including a pocket-like extension formed by said extended portions and the flaps thereon and communicating with the interior of said envelope, said first flap being folded over said front portion to form a closure for said envelope, and means for releasably securing said first fiap to said front portions, said extended portions of said envelope including means for securing said device in a file, the total length of said envelope including said extension thereon being at least of the order of 1" longer than said maximum length of said normal contents thereof and said extended portion being at least of the order of 2" in length to provide for mounting said envelope in a file by means of said securing means without materially reducing the capacity of the compartment therein and without materially affecting th opening and closing of said closure flap.

2. A filing envelope adapted to be fixed in a bound file of papers to receive miscellaneous material, comprising a blank of sheet material forming rectangular front and back portions connected by a fold line, a flap portion extending outwardly from the edge of said back portion 0pposite said fold line, a second flap extending outwardly from an edge of said front portion adjacent said fold line, a continuous extended portion along the edges of both said front and back portions opposite said second fiap and of substantially the same width as said front and back portions together, a third flap extending outwardly from said extended portion of said front portion in the opposite direction from said second flap, a fourth flap extending outwardly from said extended portion of said front portion in a direction at right angles to said second and third flaps, said front and back portions and said extended portions thereof being folded along said fold line into superimposed relation, said second, third and fourth fiaps being folded back from said front portion and secured to said back portion to form an envelope open only along the edge of said back portion carrying said first flap but including a pocket-like extension formed by said extended portions and the flaps thereon and communicating with the interior of said envelope, said first flap being folded over said front portion to form a closure for said envelope, and means for releasably securing said first flap to said front portions, said extended portions of said envelope including flexible means for securing said envelope in a file providing forunobstructed access to the remaining papers in said file, said last named means including at least one aperture through the triple layered portion of said envelope composed of said third flap and said extended portions of said body portions.

3. An envelope adapted to be fastened in a file of papers to contain and protect material of miscellaneous sizes while permitting easy insertion and withdrawal of said material into and out of said envelope without removal of aid envelope from said file, comprising generally rectangular front and back body portions of sheet material superimposed upon each other and secured together along the entire length of one pair of the longer edges of said body portions and of both of the shorter edges thereof to form an envelope,

pocket, the other pair of longer edges of said body portions being unsecured from one of their ends for the-greater portion of their length and being secured together from their other end for unsecured edge portion and adapted to fold over said front body portion to close said envelope pocket, said binding extension also forming a pocket communicating internally with said envelope pocket to provide for insertion in said envelope of material longer than said envelope pocket, and said binding extension containing at,

and back y portions of sheet material super:

imposed on each other by a fold along a common edge thereof, flaps along substantially the entire length of the two edges of said front body portion adjacent said fold folded over and fixed to said back body portion to form a pocket, a further flap on said front body portion on the edge opposite said fold extending a relatively short dis-. tance from one corner thereof and folded over flap on the edge thereof opposite said folded edge for releasably securing said flap to said front body portion.

CHARLES A. PATE.

REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Number Name Date 851,117 Cataldi Apr. 23, 1907 1,371,577 Santilli Mar, 15, 1921 1,464,378 Wilburger Aug. 7, 1923 1, 22,824 McGann et a1. Mar. 29, 1927 1,777,452 Seelman Oct. 7, 1930 2,099,354 Steele Nov. 16, 1937 

